Man escapes from police car

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Roscoe man accused of escaping from a police car Tuesday, leaving behind his girlfriend who is now in the Washington County jail on drug and other charges.

Roscoe-Elco-Stockdale-Allenport regional police had received a tip that Ramsey Hyslop, 46, was staying at 913 Arthur Ave., with a woman officers identified as his 68-year-old girlfriend, Cheryl Bartus.

Police went to the home about 7:45 p.m. to take Hyslop, who was wanted by Washington County adult probation, into custody. One officer went to the front door while the other officer went to the side door.

A woman, later identified as Bartus, was at the kitchen sink. When she saw an officer, she reportedly yelled to someone inside the house.

Hyslop was seen running to a back bedroom. When Bartus allowed the officers inside, he was in the living room, putting on a pair of pants. Police saw a syringe on an end table with a stamp bag of suspected heroin next to it.

Police asked Hyslop and Bartus if they could search the house for any other illegal drugs and the two reportedly agreed. Additional syringes were found along with four bundles of heroin. Police found a total of 144 stamp bags along with 24 Oxycontin pills.

Hyslop was handcuffed behind his back and placed in the cruiser. While the officers were gathering evidence, he was able to maneuver his hands to the front, crawl through a partitioned window in the cruiser and escape. The area was searched but he was not located. Bartus was taken into custody.

Hyslop is charged in a warrant signed by District Judge Larry Hopkins with escape and flight to avoid prosecution as well as 14 counts of possession with intent to deliver heroin and narcotics, 164 counts of possession of heroin and 140 counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Bartus was arraigned early Wednesday before District Judge Jay Weller on the drug charges as well as hindering apprehension. She was placed in the Washington County jail on $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing for her is set for Feb. 26 before Hopkins.